From LEAF Farmer Duncan Farrington
February Newsletter
We have finished cleaning
out the drainage ditches for this year, helping the water to flow away easily from sodden fields, allowing roots of growing plants to breath a sigh of relief and grow healthily. There will be more to do around the farm next winter, but for now the job is done, and thoughts move on to the next task on the list.
During February, the main priority is to plant around fifty acres of spring beans, which always seems to be a bit of a hit and miss affair with our heavy clay soils. For the best results the seed bean needs to be planted in a fine moist seedbed, however this is easier said than done for this time of the year, as the soil has a consistency more akin to plasticine, and sticks to everything as anyone who tries to dig their garden will know. If we wait too long for the ground to become perfect for working, we run the risk of a dry spring, and there not being enough moisture to help the young plants develop. So the plan is to wait until the ground has a hard frost, have everything ready and prepared to go, and then start in the middle of the night when the ground is at its coldest and driest. When the frost lifts in the morning we will stop, and then have another go once it freezes again. A couple of nights of this tactic, and the job should be done, fingers crossed.
Back in the office, another priority is to do my LEAF Audit. This is an excellent management tool we carryout as part of our LEAF Marque accreditation on the rapeseed oil. The audit looks at every aspect of a farming business; from ways to best use water efficiently, minimising wastage; how to build up valuable organic matter in our soils; conservation measures within and around fields; high standards of animal welfare and husbandry; efficient use of animal and other fertilisers; maintenance of public rights of way, and the erection of information boards for users to enjoy; to the best tyre options on your tractor. It is always something that gets put off, but once I start the audit, it throws up new questions and ideas on how we can continually improve the way we farm in an efficient, sustainable, and hopefully profitable manner.
Once the audit is completed, and I have checked that everything else is up to scratch, we then have an independent assessor visit for a day to confirm that everything is being done correctly. It’s a bit like the tax inspector coming around, but not quite as nerve wracking. And although no one likes the bureaucracy, the result is to show the end consumer that food British Agriculture produces, and especially LEAF Marque food is of the highest standard, that we are proud to be associated with. There is bound to be something we have missed, but hopefully nothing that can’t be rectified.
Other than beans and audits, I have got a trip to Scotland for a trade show promoting Farrington’s Mellow Yellow to our Scottish customers. This will include a sneak preview of our latest new dressing due to be launched in shops for April. Is it any good? Well I think it is fantastic, but there again I am biased; you’ll just have to wait and see for yourself.
